Help Wanted: City Finance Committee To Discuss Alerus Contract Wednesday 4pm

Ken McCracken • November 3, 2009

The Grand Forks Alerus Center

Financial Disaster on the Prairie
If anyone can help me out it’d be great. On Wednesday 4pm the City Finance Committee is having a meeting devoted at this time to the Alerus Contract with Venuworks as well as discussing open positions on the Alerus Commission.
Both of these are fascinating subjects. The contract with Venuworks concerns how the Alerus Commission had an illegal secret unrecorded meeting where they waived provisions of the 2008 with Venuworks. They didn’t have the guts to let the public know what kids of deal they were cutting with Venuworks.
The other topic is interesting is that they have vacancies on the commission. They’ve had one that they haven’t been able to fill for quite some time because of the requirement that one position be filled with someone from the hospitality industry. Since the Alerus is meant to benefit one and only one hotel (The CanadInn) and competes with the restaurant industry it’s understandable that no one would lend their expertise to make things worse.
‘That leaves the question if there are more than one vacancy who left? Was it the “you’re a moron” guy, David Evenson getting asked to leave? Or was it someone with morals that doesn’t like what’s going on there and doesn’t want to be involved in the illegality (specifically the secret meetings) going on there?
If one or more Say Anything readers would go there we’d greatly appreciate it. If you have a Readers Blog you can write it up yourself or you can {encode=”the.whistler.ofnd@gmail.com” title=”email me the details. “} Everyone I’ve asked to go so far has had work conflicts. (I wonder why they have meetings during work hours anyway?)
It on Wednesday, November 4, 2009 in room A101 at 4:00 p.m.
I hate to leave it to the City Beat reporter who’s only concern is trying to make the Alerus Gang look less bad.

Tags: North Dakota News

lock'm'up

I can help ya Whistler.

I heard that Venuworks has links to Obama.
ec99

I wish I could be there, and I am honored that Whistler asked me to attend. I have a strong hunch that the committee is going to present such a convoluted explanation, with the express intent of baffling everyone with BS, that no one is going to understand a thing. Kreun and Neuman are good at that.
http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

Great!
Pfeh

Presumably, since this is an open meeting, it can be video taped and the copy uploaded to Youtube?
http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

ah, I meant to mention that. State law specifically says that open meetings

may be videotaped.
jimmypop

tape it and post it. what a fun thing to watch! especially if they open the floor to questions….
ec99

"I hate to leave it to the City Beat reporter whoâ€™s only concern is trying to make the Alerus Gang look less bad. "

There is much to said for a local newspaper, especially one in the town of GF, to be willing to adopt an adversary relationship with the town's power elites. To actually investigate and publicize what is going on. I think that was Winship's original plan at the beginning. Now, his philosophy and quote, are both long gone. The GFH wants to be part of the power elite. It pumps everything good for the movers and shakers, and refuses to ever publish anything negative. It must have killed Dennis to have to write his editorial on the "moron" story. And then he soft-soaped it. He should demanded resignations. It's clear reporters have been instructed on how to approach stories, which ones to kill, and what to pump. In a way, I do feel sorry for Tu. He's on the front line, while Jacobs hides and uses his position to turn the paper into his personal mouthpiece. An adversarial relationship would have resulted in a demand to clean out the commission. Istead, there's just coverups.
http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

"In a way, I do feel sorry for Tu."

I don't. He's a crude, shallow, thinskinned, immature lap dog for the

powers that be.
pete_fgo

(I wonder why they have meetings during work hours anyway?)

I hope this question is rhetorical
http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

Well yeah, but if you want to answer it I won't be offended.
http://Array ec99

"I don't. He's a crude, shallow, thinskinned, immature lap dog for the

powers that be."

I just think he operates with Jacobs' gun at his head. On the other hand, he could look elsewhere for employment. Maybe the STrib.
http://sayanythingblog.com robport

If anyone does video tape it, YouTube may be a bad venue as it only allows 10 minutes of video at a time.

If someone sends me the file i can host it here on the blog.
Pfeh

It can be split into multiple 10 minute sections and arranged in a Youtube playlist. No reason to have it hosted in only one spot – lots of room out there in which to provide people the information they need.
lock'm'up

Tran? He said he's conservative, what do you fellas think? I trust you guys to tell me the truth.
http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

I agree, he says he's a conservative. But then again he thinks that

government should just spend all of our money because some people don't know

how to spend their money wisely.

http://sayanythingblog.com/entry/grand_forks_hera…

So he's about as conservative as I am a poet.
http://sayanythingblog.com robport

Lock 'm' up is someone posing as a conservative, I think.
http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

Probably, no harm so far.
sayanything-81

"Lock 'm' up is someone posing as a conservative, I think."

That's what you guys say about everyone these days. LOLz.
http://SayAnythingBlog.com The_Whistler_ofnd

No, we still say "Sparkie's a gluesniffing idiot."

SayAnythingBlog.com

Help Wanted: City Finance Committee To Discuss Alerus Contract Wednesday 4pm

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